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It's been a long time coming, but now the users of Firefox and Opera browsers don’t need to rely on the Chrome browser to access WhatsApp Web client, as the most popular smartphone messaging service has announced that the Web-based version of its service now works on Firefox and Opera web browserstoo.

WHATSAPP WEB AVAILABLE FOR OPERA & FIREFOX

Almost a month ago, WhatsApp launched the web client of its service but the access was limited only to the Google Chrome users. Now, the company is giving more choices to desktop users by launching WhatsApp Web Today for Opera and Firefox browsers, though you’ll still have to wait a little long if you’re a Safari user.

WhatsApp Web is nothing than an extension of the core mobile WhatsApp application. It syncs conversations from your smartphone devices to your PCs, with everything stored on the mobile device itself.

HOW TO USE WHATSAPP ON PC/DESKTOP

In order to install WhatsApp web in your PC or laptop running Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Opera browsers, you need to follow same steps, as the sign-up process is the same as with Chrome browser:

A QR code will appear on the web page, which must be scanned using WhatsApp mobile application to activate the service.

By scanning the QR code that appears, users will automatically have paired their mobile WhatsApp with the WhatsApp web client, as shown.

For now, WhatsApp Web only works with Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry devices, but unfortunately, iPhones still don't have the capability to scan the WhatsApp Web QR code because there's no web solution at this time for iOS users because of limitations of the platform.

Currently, WhatsApp has 700 million users sending 30 billion messages per day, and is bigger than most of its competitors, including Facebook Messenger, Line and WeChat. Now, this new WhatsApp web client available for a wider range of browsers will definitely increase its market.

The most popular smartphone messaging service WhatsApp is now able to communicate with friends from their PC. No Rumours at all !! Enjoy WhatsApp from your desktop from now on.

Last month, it was leaked that Whatsapp was working on a web client and finally from today they are introducing it to the public. The feature is called "WhatsApp Web," which gives its users the ability to read and send messages directly from their web browsers.

A QR code will appear on the web page, which must be scanned using WhatsApp mobile application to activate the service.

By scanning the QR code that appears, users will automatically have paired their mobile WhatsApp with the WhatsApp web client, as shown.

WhatsApp Web requires that you install and run the latest Whatsapp version of the Android app on your phone. The feature currently works on Android, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry, but unfortunately, there's no web solution at this time for iOS users because of limitations of the platform.

"Today, for the first time, millions of you will have the ability to use WhatsApp on your web browser," WhatsApp wrote in a blog post. "Our web client is simply an extension of your phone: The web browser mirrors conversations and messages from your mobile device — this means all of your messages still live on your phone."

The web version supports desktop notifications so users are notified of new WhatsApp messages even when not checking the web page.

Not only this, the Facebook-owned company is also working on a voice calling feature that WhatsApp will soon launch.

Currently, WhatsApp has 700 million users sending 30 billion messages per day, and is bigger than most of its competitors, including Facebook Messenger, Line and WeChat. This new feature will definitely increase its market.

Cyber criminals are taking advantage of the widespread popularity of the mobile messaging app 'WhatsApp'. A malware expert at the Kaspersky Lab revealed a large-scale spamming campaign, advertising a fake PC version of the WhatsApp, to spread a banking trojan.

According to the report, unaware users have received an email written in Portuguese language, it also tries to deceive the recipient with a social engineering tactic in which cyber criminals composed the malicious email informing that victims already have 11 pending friend invitations.

If users click on the “Baixar Agora” (Download Now) link in the spam email, they will be redirected to a Hightail.com URL to download the Trojan. Hightail is a cloud storage service, the malicious component deployed on it then downloads the malware via a server in Brazil.

The file stored on Hightail server looks like a 64-bit installation file bundled with 2.5 megabyte MP3 file. According to Virus Total engine, only 3 out of 49 anti-malware softwares are able to detect it.

“This Downloader has some anti-debugging features like: UnhandledExceptionFilter() and RaiseException() and once running, it downloads a new Trojan that is banker itself. This time the malware comes from a server in Brazil and has a low VT detection 3 of 49. The recently downloaded banker has the icon of an mp3 file. Most users would click on it, especially after seeing it is about 2.5MB in its weight.”

During execution of the malicious code, it communicates with the command & control servers to provide infection statistics and system console through the local port 1157. The Malware sends back the stolen information in the Oracle DB format. The malicious code is also able to download another payload on the infected system.

There are some interesting consideration to do:

The technique used by the attacker could result very effective in areas where the application is mostly used i.e. Latin America and Europe. The WhatsApp has more than 430 million users and 30 million added in just the last month.

Researchers identified a “classic style of a Brazilian-created malware” pattern, the malicious agent targeted Brazilian population much inclined to the use of WhatsApp. The language used and the fact that the Trojan is downloaded from a Brazilian server confirm the hypothesis.

This isn’t the first spam email campaign that abused the WhatsApp brand, cyber criminals leveraged the service in the past November to push malware via email by tricking users into thinking they had a new voicemail message.